Couple devotes lives to helping human trafficking victims

The disturbing underworld of sex slavery is the fastest growing crime in the world. But what people most don't realize is that it's happening right here in Southwest Florida – from areas you might never expect.More >>

FORT MYERS: Human trafficking and sex slavery is an exploding crime around the world and it's happening right here in Southwest Florida. In Part 2 of her exclusive report, Marisa Brahney introduces a local couple that has dedicated their lives to combating the heinous crime.

Click the link in the "Related Stories" section at the right to read Part 1 of Marisa Brahney's report.

Sally and Lowell Senitz, a retired couple, say they were hooked after seeing a TV show about human trafficking and its exploding presence here in the U.S.

"I was at that point we started saying, ‘What can we do about this?'" said Sally.

After learning it was the fastest growing crime in the world, they began travelling to points of origin for trafficking - visiting with rescued child slaves in the slums of Sudan, Nairobi, Kenya and Romania.

"Now, we're grandparents with seven grandkids. So this was really stretching our comfort zone. But we had a purpose and that purpose drove us," Sally said.

And it was their world travels that brought their efforts right back here to Southwest Florida.

"They are coerced. They're beaten. They are induced with drugs," Sally explained. "They're lured by promises of modeling careers. The boys are lured by promises of trying out for a soccer team and getting a college scholarship. This is happening right here in Lee County."

"These traffickers are saying, ‘We'll kill your family if you try to escape.' They don't even have to have the physical chains," added Lowell.

Just two months ago, a Bonita Springs man was accused of forcing his teenage wife to have sex with other men.

This past summer, a Cape Coral barbershop was shut down and the owners were arrested for selling sex with teenage girls to their customers.

And authorities say seven women were smuggled into the country and used as sex slaves at a Bonita Springs brothel in 2005.

"We're not getting the information from the public to generate a lot of cases right now," said Detective Mike Zaleski with the Lee County Sheriff's Office.

He says while the sheriff's office has been successful with some cases, there are far more out there that detectives simply aren't getting enough information on to investigate.

In fact the crime is so hard to prosecute that only a few cases worldwide have ended successfully.

"[There are about] 2,000 – tops - that have led to prosecution, arrest and rescue," said Zaleski.

The victims that are rescued need extensive help.

The Senitz family is now committed to giving that through their non-profit, Wings of Shelter.

"Somebody in the course of events had approached us and said, 'Do you think you can build a safe house or find us a safe house?' And we said, 'We don't know. We've never really thought of that before,'" said Lowell.

But Lowell and Sally say it all just fell into place. They found donors and host parents. Now, the safe house is set to open in Lee County next month.

At FGCU, from January 20-27, there will be a series of events about this very topic. It is called, "Out of the Shadows - End Slavery in Your Neighborhood:

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